Aerosol upholstery shampooer



y 1955 o. D. HOXIE 3,184,781

AEROSAL UPHOLSTERY SHAMPOOER Filed Feb. 4, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ORWLLE D. Home j /QDJI-us Q Siap-ke A! fol-ways May 25, 1965 o. D. HOXlE AEROSAL UPHOLSTERY SHAMPOOER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 4, 1963 ORV/4L5 D. How! BY flab-u: f Siarke flff'orhey;

United States Patent 3,184,781 AEROSOL UPHOLSTERY SHAMPOOER Orville l). Horrie, Grand Rapids, Mich, assignor to Bissell Inc., Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Feb. 4, 1953, Ser. No. 255,771 13 Claims. (Cl. 15-552) This invention relates to an aerosol dispenser and applicator for upholstery shampoo.

Various manual upholstery shampoo applicators have reached the commercial market. One type of applicator depends upon the use of a squeeze bottle whereby delivery of a liquid shampoo is made by forcing the same through a sponge within a brush applicator secured to the bottle.

All of these manual applicators depend upon the working of a sponge or brush to transform a liquid shampoo into a foam and work it into the fabric to be cleaned.

None of them to applicants knowledge have heretofore employed an aerosol type of pressurized liquid shampoo in a can and which is self foaming as it is discharged, as by intumescence.

The present invention provides a construction that employs a standard type of aerosol can for containing the liquid shampoo and which can be replaced when empty.

The applicator threads upon a special adapter secured on the top of the can and which protects the valve against accidental opening. The rim of the applicator engages the rim of the can and provides a strong rigid support for transmitting the cleaning forces to the brush from the hand of the operator holding the can.

The adapter may be indexed in its application to the can to effect a given angular location of the applicator with the can. The adapter is secured to the can by providing expansion means for the adapter beneath the rolled lip of the can and which does not tend to loosen the roll.

The applicator employs a coarse sponge to serve as an expansion chamber for the intumescent foam and prevents a tendency of the latter to flow in semi-liquid state to the surface being cleaned. A brush coacts with the sponge in working the foam into or onto the surface of the upholstering and serves to protect the sponge.

Foaming detergents normally are discharged in a semiliquid state and require a few seconds of time in which to expand or intumesce fully into the desired foam for cleaning action without undue wetting of the fabric. The sponge provies this time interval and the large pores of the sponge serve as expansion chambers for the full intumescence of the foam.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated by the inventor for carrying out the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the assembled dispenser;

FIG. 2 is an elevation taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the applicator face.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation partially in axial section of the assembly showing the upper portion of the can, the adapter and the applicator;

FIG. 4 is a viewsimilar to FIG. 3 showing the valve in an actuated position.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view showing the parts just prior to assembly and with the housing in section;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation showing the capped cartridge as it is shipped from the factory; and

FIG. 7 is a detail section showing the cap as applied over the adapter.

In cleaning of upholstery and the like with a foaming type detergent it is desirable to scrub the surface to be cleaned while wetting it with the detergent foam. Econmy requires avoiding a liquid soaking of the fabric or other material of the surface.

d dfidi Patented May 25, 1965 The apparatus of the present invention is particularly adapted to do this, and comprises in general a dispenser in the form of a cartridge or can 1 filled with an aerosol mixture of the liquid detergent solution and a propelling gas, and an applicator 2 which is adapted to be removably secured to successive cartridges and to dispense and apply the detergent as a foam to upholstery surfaces including fabrics of all kinds, leather, imitation leathers and synthetic plastics.

The cartridge can 1 has a closure top 3 having a suitable valve 4 therein with a vertical tubular delivery member 5 serving as the valve actuating stem. A spring 6 biases the valve member 7 on the stem 5 upwardly to closed position. Downward pressure upon stem 5 overcomes the spring 6 and internal pressure in can 1 to effect opening of the valve and escape of the aerosol mixture through the hollow stem.

Each cartridge 1 will have an adapter 8 applied thereto at the factory to enable the attachment of the applicator 2 thereto.

The adapter 8 is the subject of a separate application for patent by the present inventor, Serial No. 255,770, filed February 4, 1963, and comprises a tubular member of synthetic plastic material with a flange 9 encircling the same intermediate the ends for locating the adapter by engagement of the flange upon the rolled rim 10 of the can closure 3.

The adapter body 8 above the flange 9 is threaded externally to secure the applicator 2 thereto.

The adapter 8 beneath the flange 9 has a circumferential bulge i1 spaced from the flange and adapted to engage beneath the rolled rim 10 when the adapter is snapped in place. In order to provide for contraction of the bulge 11 during snapping of its past the rim 10 in applying the adapter, the inner or lower end of the adapter has two diametrically disposed longitudinal slots 12 and 13 extending from the end to the flange and which provide a limited radial flexibility for the two halves of the bulge.

After the adapter is snapped in place a split metal ring 14 is inserted downwardly through the adapter and serves to push the bulge outwardly for gripping beneath rim 10, and to retain the bulge against yielding inwardly under stress so that the adapter 8 remains permanently fixed to the cartridge 1.

The adapter 8 extends upwardly around the stem 5 and protects the latter against injury or accidental displacement. For shipping purposes, a cap 15 extends over the adapter and has its skirt frictionally engaged on the outside of rim 10 to secure the cap in place. When it is desired to fasten the cartridge 1 to an applicator 2, the cap 15 is manually removed and thrown away.

The applicator 2 comprises a molded synthetic plastic housing having a skirt 16 of a diameter generally corresponding with the outside diameter of the cartridge can 1 and adapted to fit thereon to provide rigidity between the cartridge 1 and applicator 2 when the latter is secured to the cartridge.

The housing of applicator 2 has a central internally threaded cylindrical portion 17 which is constructed to thread upon the outer end of the adapter 8 in securing the applicator 2 in place upon the cartridge 1.

To one side of the applicator 2 and preferably at an angle to the axis of the cartridge-applicator assembly 1-2, the applicator housing is formed to provide an open receptacle 18 for receiving a brush assembly 19. The upper end of the applicator housing on the side opposite receptacle 18 is recessed to receive a trigger 20 which has limited axial movement.

The trigger 2h is held in place by a tubular sleeve 21 which extends upwardly into the body of the trigger with a s earer a press fit and which extends downwardly in axial alignment with valve stem to rest thereon. The sleeve 21 has a sliding bearing fit within an opening flange 22 in the upper end of the applicator housing concentric with.

- trigger is depressed to depress valve stem 5.

' The brush assembly 19 comprises a base 25 having a back side 26 and arim 27 for fitting within the receptacle 18. A coarse gauge-like highly resilient synthetic sponge block 28 is glued to the face of the backing 26. A series of brush bristles 29 is provided around the periphery of sponge block 28 and secured in rim 27 of the base 25. The bristles 29 extend outwardly for substantially thethickness of the sponge 28 to provide for scrubbing of the surface to be cleaned and to protect the sponge against undue deformation and wear.

Thesponge 28 is preferably formed of a foam plastic or resin such as polyurethane, polyvinylchloride, polyethylene, polyester blends and the like.

The use of flexible urethane foams of substantial resilience has proven very satisfactory. These foams are generally created by reacting a polyisocyanate with a polyol and water in the presence of a catalyst. The reaction between the water and the isocyanate liberates carbon dioxide which functions as a blowing agent to create an open interconnected cellular structure. In some cases fluorocarbon blowing agents such as monofluorochloromethane or difluorochloromethane can be used to create the cellular structure. These high molecular weight gases boil at low temperatures under the exothermic heat of the reaction between the isocyanate and the polyol.

The principal polyols used to prepare the polyurethane foam are polyesters and polyethers. The polyesters include those based on adipic acid, dimer acid or castor oil, while the polyethers include polypropylene glycol of 2000 molecular weight and triols with molecular weights up to 4000 that are propylene oxide adducts of glycerine. As a specific example, the polyurethane foam can be prepared byjreacting ,polytetrarnethylene ether glycol with 2,4- toluene diisocyanate.

The sponge 28 preferably has large pores of the order generally of from 10 to 30 pores per inch. The smaller the pores the greater will bethe resistance to passage of I the foam detergent through the sponge. The thickness of the sponge and its resistance to the flow of the foam detergent should be related and selected to provide a time for expansion to approximately optimum foam size and characteristics as the foam reaches the face of the sponge. for application to the surface to be treated. 7

In using the applicator, the operator normally grips the cartridge and, applicator firmly by one hand with a finger overthe. trigger 2i and'the brush assembly 29 facthe sponge so that the bubbles in the foam reach sub 7 stantially their maximum size by the time they reach the applicator face for application to the surface to be-cleaned.

The sponge appears to facilitate the more rapid expansion of the foam. I

' The operator then presses the face of the applicator upon the surface to be cleaned and moves the applicator aover the surface in a light scrubbing action which effects a thorough treatment. of the surface with the detergent foam and avoids undue liquid penetration or wetting of the material being cleaned.

In the former squeeze bottle type of applicator liquid detergent mix entered the sponge and was generally converted to foam by aeration within the pores of the sponge engendered by flexing of the sponge.

In the present type of applicator a very fine foam is delivered to the sponge and a much coarser sponge is employed to facilitate expansion of the foam as it moves through the sponge so that there is practically no danger of liquid being applied to the surface being treated.

Intumescence of the foam is facilitated by a spreading out of the discharge streamof foam and also by the time delay in passing from the mouth of tube 24- through the sponge 28 to the face of the brush assembly 19; For this purpose it is possible to employ other types of brush assemblies, even eliminating the sponge, providing the bristles are of a length and arrangement to effect the needed intumescence.- It has been found that the sponge is by far better and that it greatly facilitates the intumescence of the foam. 7

Various modes of carrying out theinventionare contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims. particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded asthe invention.

I claim: a 1. A cleaning apparatus of the class described comprising an aerosol bomb containing a detergent-propellant mix and having a valve controlled discharge in-the top thereof including an upwardly extending axially movable tubular valve stem, and an applicator removably'and rigidly secured to said bomb and having a brush assembly for scrubbing the surface to be cleaned, said applicator having a manually operable trigger disposed to engage said valve stem and to actuate the same to'deliver fine detergent foam'through a passage in said trigger to said brush assembly, and said brush assembly comprising a coarse synthetic sponge block disposed to receive the fine detergent foam and to expand the same as the foam passes through the sponge for application to the surface to be cleaned. v2. The construction of claim 1 in which the applicator has a skirt engaging the outer rim of the aerosol bomb to provide rigidity for transmitting scrubbing forces between the hand of the operator grasping the aerosol bomb and the surface to be cleaned which is engaged by the face of the brush assembly.

3. The construction of claim 1 in which said brush assembly comprises a plurality of brush bristles disposed to engage the surface to be cleaned and to control the deformation of the sponge and protect the latter during scrubbing. u w V 4. In a device of the class describ'ed,van applicator for applying a detergent foam to a surface to be cleaned, comprising a resilient synthetic sponge having apore size of from about 10 to 30 pores per inch, aerosol means connected to said applicator so as tosupply an intumescent detergent solution to the back side of said sponge, said detergent having a surface tension, which requires appreciable time for full intumescence of the foam, said sponge having a thickness for the given pore size and detergentmix providing substantially comple'telintumescence of the detergent as it reaches thefaceof the sponge; for application tothe surface to be cleaned. 7

5. The construction of 'clairn4 and brush bristles 'disposed closely adjacent to" the sponge around its perimeter to. aid in a scrubbing action and protect the sponge from injury.

.6. In a device of thejclass described'for applying detergentfoam to'a surface to becle'aned, an aerosol'bomb containing a. water diluted detergent having substantially high wetting properties, and a liquidpropellant dispersed therein under pressure toprovide a liquid mixture have ing the property of I intume scent foaming, said detergent having a surface tension which requires appreciable time for full intumescence of the foam; a sponge applicator removably secured to said aerosol bomb, and means to feed the liquid mixture to the back side of said sponge applicator while releasing the pressure thereon to provide for intumescence of the foam as the same passes through the sponge.

7. The construction of claim 6 in which the detergent is diluted by water in substantially the ratio of from 4 to 8 parts of water to one part of detergent.

8. The construction of claim 6 in which the liquid propellant is a liquified petroleum constituent which is lighter than the water diluted detergent and is readily dispersed therein as by shaking.

9. The construction of claim 6 in which the liquid propellant is iso-butane in a ratio of substantially less than 1 to 20 by weight.

10. The construction of claim 6 in which the sponge applicator comprises a block of polyurethane sponge having a pore size of from 10 to 30 pores per inch.

11. An apparatus for applying intumescent detergent foam to a surface to be cleaned, comprising a spendable cartridge of pressurized detergent mix having inteumescent foaming properties, an applicator removably secured to said cartridge and having a brush assembly providing an applicator face for scrubbing the surface to be cleaned, and means delivering controlled quantities of said detergent mix to said brush assembly, and said brush assembly comprising a coarse sponge through which the foam passes during intumescence thereof and providing 6 for substantially full intumescence of the detergent foam prior to application of the same to the surface to be cleaned.

12. In a device of the class described, a housing having a central shank adapted to be removably secured to successive aerosol cans, a movable trigger member carried by said housing and adapted to engage and actuate the valve stem of the aerosol can, an applicator assembly carried by said housing to one side thereof and having an opening in the rear face of the applicator, said movable trigger member having a passage upwardly therethrough for discharging the contents of the can when the trigger is actuated to open the valve, and a flexible conduit connecting the discharge end of said passage with said opening in said applicator.

13. The construction of claim 12 in which said trigger member is adapted to seal upon the upper end of the valve stem of the aerosol can, and said passage communicates with a discharge passage in said stem to receive liquid from the can.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,849,737 9/58 Piccinini et a1 l5604 2,897,526 8/59 Dootson 15-565 2,908,650 10/59 Fine 252 2,932,840 4/60 Lathrop 15-532 3,031,409 4/62 Perlman et a1. 25290 X CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. 

4. IN A DEVICE OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED, AN APPLICATOR FOR APPLYING A DETERGENT FOAM TO A SURFACE TO BE CLEANED, COMPRISING A RESILENT SYNTHETIC SPONGE HAVING A PORE SIZE OF FROM ABOUT 10 TO 30 PORES PER INCH, AEROSOL MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID APPLICATOR SO AS TO SUPPLY AN INTUMESCENT DETERGENT SOLUTION TO THE BACK SIDE OF SAID SPONGE, SAID DETERGENT HAVING A SURFACE TENSION WHICH REQUIRES APPRECIABLE TIME FOR FULL INTUMESCENCE OF THE FOAM, SAID SPONGE HAVING A THICKNESS FOR THE GIVEN PORE SIZE AND DETERGENT MIX PROVIDING SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE INTUMESCENCE OF THE DETERGENT AS IT REACHES THE FACE OF THE SPONGE FOR APPLICATION TO THE SURFACE TO BE CLEANED. 